


`Til Stars Align

by MonikaFileFan



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, RST, Romance, Slow Burn, Trope Combos, erotic romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 12:56:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17808368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonikaFileFan/pseuds/MonikaFileFan
Summary: Mulder and Scully are currently stuck under Kersh’s thumb and banned to the bullpen. It’s the week of Valentine’s Day and Scully also finds herself under romantic admiration from another.





	1. Admiration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lmscully909](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lmscully909/gifts).



> Written for: LmScully909 on Ao3 for some MSR smut, lots of romance, fluff, NO angst, AU(ish), and UST turned RST. I think I hit all your preferences! I really hope you love it!
> 
> Fan art: Was made for this fic by the awesome Paislie Hadley (thanks girl it’s perfect)
> 
> Timeline: Season 6, post episode Rain King. Canon until leading up to Rain King for timeline. So, for this story (Valentines themed) let's just assume that instead of the case taking place well after Valentine’s Day, Rain King happens beforehand. I wanted this to occur BEFORE Milagro and AFTER Rain King for it to work the way I hoped, so here it is;) 
> 
> Thank you: to Jeri aka Fragilevixen for keeping me sane while I wrote out this beast from start to finish. Seriously!
> 
> Thank you: to Nicole aka OnlyTheInevitable for the badass beta and making me LMAO at your comments!

* * *

 

_“You’re the one reason I wake up in the morning; you’re the one reason I find a way to smile; you’re the one person that can change it all around when life is going bad. Your eyes, your smile, your everything, your laugh, your look in your eyes when you talk to me. It’s just everything about you that makes me want you even more.”_

_-Heartfeltquotes.com_

——

“Oh, oh yes… Right there, please...” Scully whimpered, nails again desperately raking through his well tousled hair. They shouldn’t be doing this now. Not here, but the thought of him stopping as she felt herself floating higher and higher was utterly out of the question.

His fingers plunged through her core, strumming their way in and out, while he deftly maneuvered his tongue around her swelling bundle of nerves. Her womb tensed as an orgasm was rapidly approaching and it felt like she might explode any moment now...

——

_Five days earlier..._

Monday, February 9, 1999

FBI Hoover Building

3rd Floor Bullpen

9:05am

Scully whirled her way through the bullpen doorway, still shivering from the cold February air. She moved right past Mulder tossing sunflower seeds in his mouth, stifling a laugh as he nearly choked on one while he watched her quick entrance.

She shrugged out of her coat and subtly eyed her partner at his desk across from hers as he continued to cough. Shaking her head, she sat in her seat, rolled it off to the side, and smiled at the steaming cup of coffee waiting for her.

“You alright over there?” Scully nodded her head at Mulder swallowing a mouthful out of his identical cup. “I’d rather not do the Heimlich maneuver before I get my caffeine fix in this morning.”

Mulder shot her a smirk behind the lip of the coffee top and gave her a thumbs up. He seems jittery this morning, she thought as she warmed her chilled hands around her drink. Probably up to something he shouldn’t be, per usual. She watched Mulder gather himself while rolling his chair over to the opposing side of her desk. His eyes moved to focus directly to her mouth. Licking the liquid dripping off of her bottom lip, she couldn’t help but feel a flush rise up her neck at his closer proximity. _  
_

“Morning, Scully,” he stared at her, unblinking, knowing she could see the gleam of excitement in his eyes.

Mulder had been waiting anxiously for his usually punctual partner to make her appearance. After opening his email this morning and seeing what was sent to every agent in the building, thoughts riddled his mind and he formulated a plan of epic proportions before she had even arrived.

“Good morning. Thanks for this,” she cheered her coffee up and took a drink. When he didn’t answer with his usual reply, she sent him a questioning arched brow and followed his gesture to the large white computer monitor to her left.

“You should check your email. I feel like after you do, you’ll be giving me the same smug look I’m giving you now.” Mulder leaned back, rolled himself over to his computer, and promptly pulled up Mindsweeper to tamp down his enthusiasm.

He had big plans for the coming week. If fate was finally on their side for the stars to align for them, Mulder wasn’t going to waste another day for a chance to live outside of the platonic box.

Rolling her eyes at his Mindsweeping predictability, she clicked on her computer screen and let the caffeine run through her while she pulled her email up. She noted the official FBI logo next to its email address along with the tagline, “MANDATORY: Attention All Agents. _This is not spam!_ ”

Scully began reading and gathered immediately why Mulder was eager to see her reaction to this.

A formal benefit banquet would be held for the recently fallen FBI agent’s families that were left without their loved ones suddenly in a mass raid that went bad in a big way. Six agents perished, as well as injuring eight others who were still currently racking up hospital bills so soon after Christmas.

It seemed that the Deputy Director had thought of the idea to hold a benefit for the families struck with grief after the holidays. It just so happened to take place this Saturday, on Valentines Day. Scully groaned at that thought and continued to read. The bottom of the email stated that agent’s who chose to put themselves out there, dressed to the nines, donate a little money, and ensured that the fundraiser wasn’t a dud after dinner, receives brownie points for their effort that will not go unnoticed by the director. Basically, it wasn’t an option to cop out on going. Not to mention, less arguments for a time on she and Mulder’s unapproved side projects that may or may not be related to the “off limits X-Files.”

“Mulder…” Scully sighed while opening up last week’s unofficial notes on Holman Heart’s weather. “We have to do this. There will be no getting out of attending this if we want the files back.” Silence. “Mulder, are you listening?” She turned her head away from the screen and was met with her partner’s face just inches from her own.

“Yeah, Scully I hear ya. And feel free to write this down by the way, but I had no intention of skipping out on this.” He could read the skeptical and shocked expression on her face at his utterance with the tip of her tongue freezing mid swipe along her top lip. “I can be a good boy when I really want to, Scully. I’ll even do it with a smile on my face if you’ll be there to ensure that I am.”

Speechless, she blinked and knew deep down it would not be that easy to tame a wild Mulder.

——

Tuesday, February 10, 1999

FBI Hoover Building

3rd Floor Bullpen

8:50am

“Excuse me,” Scully told the rude agent who nearly barrelled over her as she stepped into the bullpen. “Asshole,” she muttered under her breath.

She gripped the two still piping hot coffee cups in her cold hands and held her breath as the liquid sloshed through the lid. It was her turn to get the coffee and she’d be damned if she had to turn around and get them another one in the D.C.’s frozen tundra.

Spotting Mulder tapping his pencil impatiently with his back turned, she snuck up behind him and hovered her mouth above his ear. “Morning!” He startled and swung his head around before she had the chance to react and move herself. Their noses brushed one another, eyes locked. Their lips just a hair's breadth away, so close that they breathed in each other’s air.  

“Well, hello!” Mulder laughed, genuinely surprised and impressed at her stealth since he had been waiting on pins and needles her to show up. Scully quickly leaned back and handed him his coffee that had obviously spilled over at some point with a slight pink rising along her cheeks. “Ya got me. And thank you.”

Scully spun on her heel and tried to slow her heart rate by the time she got to her desk. “Had ya big time,” she teased, and couldn’t help but chuckle at their familiar little game still going strong.

Setting her bag down by her chair and her drink onto her desk, she noticed a singular lavender rose laid across her keyboard. She glanced around as she removed her coat and gloves, then noticed Mulder was staring at her with a hand rubbing at his hairless chin.

“What’s this?”

“What’s what, Scully? The flower? It looks like a lavender rose to me,” he teased back. Knowing Scully wasn’t going to return his banter, he shrugged and said, “I can tell you that I haven’t seen anyone at your desk this morning, if that’s what you’re wondering about.”

“Okay then… I guess I’ll just find a glass and stick it into some water.” Scully had no idea what the rose meant but it was pretty and purple always had been her favorite color. Still confused, she stared over at Mulder nodding her way wearing a mysterious expression as he went back to pretending to care about background checks.

Making her way across the bullpen to the break area, she couldn’t help but wonder why she would be given her a purple rose and from whom?

Mulder watched her disappear around the corner and grinned at the thought of her reading the email he had sent her earlier that morning before she arrived. He has wanted to approach the possibility of he and Scully taking that next step for a while now. And even though it probably wasn’t the greatest idea—getting romantically involved with a work partner and friend, especially him—he knew that with the files being yanked from under them, that now was better a time to tempt fate than later. If he and Scully did get put back on the X-Files, then that would just be yet another convenient excuse for them both to push love aside.

He’d had enough of excuses and denial to last him a lifetime.

The benefit ball landing on Valentine's Day was exactly the right situation in which to step out of his comfort zone and try to romance Scully. No more excuses and no more unfinished kisses or post concussed declarations of love. Mulder was finally going to romance Scully in his own Spooky way.

He just hoped to hell that she would actually enjoy it.

“Hey, I see you found a tall glass,” he said, nodding to her nervously while she placed the budding rose inside it. “Proudly displaying a token of admiration?”

“Admiration?”

“Well yes, Scully. It is a lavender colored flower.”

She scoffed and sat down. “Obviously. I’m assuming purple means something specific?”

“You assume right.” He rolled his chair over to lean his arm alongside her desk. “Lavender usually means love at first sight.” That got a huff of a laugh out of her and he smiled too, knowing that he hadn’t given it to her for that reason at all.

“Well now I know it’s not from you,” she smirked. “I feel an _and_ coming.”

“And… lavender roses can offer a daily reminder of love and eagerness to grow a relationship.” He watched her absorb that piece of information as she grabbed her mouse and clicked open her email.

“How do you know that? Looked it up before I got here did you?”

“Nope. I remember the deeper meaning of flowers from my dating days,” he joked, but was honest in the fact that he was trying to do just that.

Scully flicked her eyes over at him and just couldn’t help herself. “Like I asked you last week, how long has it been since you’ve been on a date?” Tamping down her amusement at the mock gestured stabbing of his heart with her pen, she opened up and skimmed through an email from an unknown address in her “Work Only” inbox. Confused, she read it again.

_If you were my rose, then I’d be your sun,_

_painting you rainbows when the rains come._

_I’d change my orbit to banish the night,_

_as to keep you in my nurturing light._

“Scully?” She felt Mulder’s heat at her back, shivering as a whiff of his aftershave shot straight up her nose. “What’s that?”

“I don’t know. Looks like a poem but it seems unfinished. I have no idea who sent it. The email isn’t one I recognize and it’s not FBI issued.”

“Mm, you’re right. It doesn’t seem finished to me.” She heard him hum in thought behind her and his overall presence was definitely distracting her more than usual. And nowhere near just today, either. “Well, looks like you have yourself a secret admirer, Scully.”

Surprised at the turn of events, she hadn’t noticed Mulder return to his desk and begin to work; or at least pretend to. He may have effectively ended the conversation, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to put an end to her now rapidly growing curiosity.

——

Wednesday, February 11, 1999

FBI Hoover Building

3rd Floor Bullpen

8:44am

Mulder hurriedly pressed send in his secret email account he had set up in an attempt to do something special for Scully for once. Originally, he wanted to just give her the poem and roses all together and officially ask her to be his date for Saturday. That would have been the more normal thing to do. Yet, Mulder wasn’t normal and neither was his relationship with Scully. So when he obsessively thought it over, dissecting every outcome as thoroughly as Scully would a body in an autopsy bay, he decided that anonymity was probably the better way to start off is quest in seeking _more_ with her.  

Maybe if this all worked out the way he had hoped, he could co-write a book with her called, “How To Romance Your Partner.” Written by one skeptic and believer to another. And from the look of desperation on half of his fellow agent’s faces, it could definitely be a bestseller.

Mulder had also come to the conclusion that maybe a slow weaving of his secret romantic side into their gradually emerging relationship would prove easier for Scully to agree in giving him a shot as more than her best friend, rather than another sudden “I love you.” If he got brave enough to revisit the “kiss that almost was,” he would feel more confident that his intentions for a _them_ were made crystal clear this time around. He was damned determined there would be no miscommunication. Not from him anyway. He was laying it all on the line.

If Holman Heart could do it, then so could he. Even if it scared the shit out of him.

For Mulder, admiring Scully from afar was an extremely easy thing to do. It was when he allowed himself to get close enough to let her thread her way into his heart, was when he realized that he had already fallen in love.

Yes, Fox Mulder was in love with Dana Scully and he had finally come to terms with that. He wiped away the heavy layer of guilt for every painful thing that had ever happened to her since their partnership and finally just accepted the fact that she could’ve left him at anytime if she wasn’t where she truly wanted to be. Yet, Scully was still there with him fighting the good fight because she needed to; because it was her quest now too.

This partnership was permanently ingrained within each other’s DNA now. Imprinted, in more ways than one and the time for pushing her away was long gone.

He took a sip of his still too hot coffee just as the woman he had fallen head over heels for walked up to greet him. “Morning, Scully.”

“Good morning,” Scully smiled at him and the steaming cup of Ebenezers coffee waiting for her. Her favorite. Mulder may not have a preference for his own coffee, but she did and he always found a way to please her taste buds just as they started to grow accustomed to the sludge served around the Hoover building.  

“How was your night?” Mulder openly studied her as she tossed her coat over her chair. He watched the purposeful way she licked her lips and tucked a wayward strand of copper hair behind her ear, pausing in thought as she noticed the new addition of color on her desk.

“Hmm?” Scully couldn’t focus on Mulder at the moment. The only thing she _could_ focus on was the added bold orange, partially bloomed rose nestled next to the lavender rose from yesterday.

Scully was never a fan of surprises and being sought after like this had certainly surprised her. Usually if she were to be admired romantically, it was in person and she would be flattered yet easily turn them away for a wide array of reasons. And each one happened to start with M and end with R.

She liked to keep control and order in her life when she could possibly help it. That was her choice. Choices for Scully, gave her that control her life sometimes lacked. Choosing to revolve her life around her partner was a prime example of that. Yet the thought of being admired this way, intrigued her only because she had pictured _Mulder_ as her date, her admirer. _Her_ Mulder. Anyone else just wouldn’t do anymore.

Inevitably, she would always choose her partner, even over herself.

“Ahem!” She felt a familiar tap against her hip bone.

“What? Were you saying something, Mulder?”

“I asked you how your night went but I can see that you’ve noticed your new flower.”

“Yeah,” she blinked herself out of her unusually deep musings for the early morning hour and clicked at her mouse. She was confident that she would be receiving another email this morning. “I thought about calling the Gunmen last night. You know, to track down the email address.” It was more out of her own curiosity at this point rather than concern but didn’t find the need to admit to Mulder her level of fascination yet.

Panic rose as Mulder caught onto her worry. Of course a secret admirer could always be some creep with less than sincere intentions, especially with her job position. But, he and the Gunmen happened to know that there was no creep involved in this genuinely heartfelt gesture. Hell, they had set up his email for him and the boys wouldn’t be shy in admitting so under any hard-pressed questioning from Scully.

“But I decided to wait and see that what showed up on my desk and in my email this morning, wasn’t off putting or threatening in anyway.”

Scully sat down and leaned further into her computer screen to read as Mulder moved to stand beside her. Seeing her reaction as a thoughtful one and not a freaked out one had him relieved. If she showed any signs that his whole plan to have her swooning by the time he greeted her in his tux with his heart on his sleeve was making her uncomfortable, he’d just have to explain himself. Albeit with some marginal embarrassment from them both, he figured.

“Oh…” Scully sighed, running a hand along the back of her stiff neck.

“ _‘Oh’_ what?”

Mulder leaned down closer now, his hands braced on the desk and back of her chair. She felt his breath tickle the shell of her ear as his warmth surrounded her diminutive frame. It took her breath away along with any of the words poised to escape her mouth. She paused and cleared her throat to regain her suddenly thrown off composer. “Um, we were right. It’s another stanza.”

“Mind if I read it?” he murmured, his cheek brushing along hers.

She shook her head as a reply, really only as an excuse to feel his soft skin rub against her own again while she turned to watch him read.

Mulder cleared his throat and read aloud.

_If you were my world, then I’d be your moon,_

_your silent protector, a night-light in the gloom._

_Our fates intertwined, two bodies in motion,_

_through time and space, our dance devotion._

With a thudding heart, and quickening breath, Scully could only stare with her mouth slightly parted just an inch from Mulder’s looming face next to hers. The words were beautiful, perfect even. And as Mulder read them, the cadence of his voice only added to the thrill of knowing they were meant for her. Right then, she officially wanted Mulder, her partner, her best friend more than she ever had before. So intensely, it practically left her gushing in her seat.

Mulder turned to her, locking his hazel gaze onto her own for what seemed like minutes. Scully felt his finger tips feather at the nape of her neck for permission to touch her where she had been subconsciously rubbing. She slowly moved her hand out of the way as he straightened up and swept away her strains of hair. Softly, he massaged each muscle along her cervical vertebrae, working his thumbs deep into her skin. Scully felt her chin fall listless to her chest and breathing was forgotten.

“Mmm…”

“You’re so tight, Scully,” he groaned, and she gasped at the sexual way she had immediately taken his words. Reluctantly, she pulled away from his ministrations before she really embarrassed herself and begged him for more.

She quickly spun around in her chair with her thighs knocking into his knees and blurted out, “orange!”

“What?” Mulder coughed out with wide eyes, clutching at the chair’s arms with his face intimately close to hers once again.

“The flower. What’s orange mean?”

“Ah, well orange roses evoke energy, and can indicate enthusiasm, desire and excitement. So gifting an orange rose, can symbolize a passionate romance or excitement of the relationship one may have with their loved one.”

Please be from you, Mulder, she hoped. She didn’t want anyone else to gift her these things. It was going to be a very long week of wondering and she was already imagining Mulder as the man behind the mystery.

“Eidetic memory, huh?”

He grinned at her and winked. “Something like that.”

Oh Jesus, here she was yearning for him and all he had to do was wink. Scully knew by the look on his face and her physical reaction to it, that it would be a very long rest of the week indeed.

——

Thursday, February 12, 1999

FBI Hoover Building

3rd Floor Bullpen

8:40am

Scully quickly moved to her desk, already tearing at her coat and gloves in anticipation. She flew past Mulder lounging in his chair with his long legs sprawled out and already loosening his loudly decorated tie.

“Hey! Morning… you’re in a hurry today, Scully.” He noticed she’d forgotten it was her turn for coffee today but decided against bringing that up as she rushed in like a bat out of hell.

“Hey, Mulder.” She had arrived a little earlier than usual in hopes of seeing this secret admirer in action. But as she hurriedly walked up to her desk, she saw the third rose already laying there in all of its bright yellow glory. “Dammit!”

“What?” Mulder rolled his chair all the way around her desk to sit right beside her, his partially exposed forearm rubbing along her thigh as he pointed to the glass that now held three different colored roses. “Got a new addition I see.”

“Yeah, I see too.” Narrowing her eyes at the glass of blooming flowers, she asked, “yellow for friendship, right?”

“Yep. Although it’s more than that. Yellow roses create warm feelings and provide happiness. Giving a yellow rose can tell someone the of the joy you bring them and the friendship you share. Or in this admirer’s case, maybe would like to share a lot more of.”

“Hmm,” she nodded and sighed, rolling her neck from side to side, eliciting small pops along her spine.

Mulder grimaced. “You know, I really think I can loosen those knots for you if you’re willing to let me finish this time.” He smiled, realizing he tossed an innuendo line her way and it wasn’t even intentional.

She swung her head down with arms crossed to give him a perfectly arched brow as she pursed her lips to fight off laughter.

“Mm, that very well may be,” she turned to face him fully and leaned against her desk top, “but don’t you think that could make my admirer jealous?”

She was teasing him, he knew, and he loved every second of teasing, flirty Scully. For the longest time now, his top three fantasies started off with their usual banter and a flirty, feisty Dana Scully. Just the middle and end of them had involved a completely naked Scully with her coming undone around him.

“Is that a challenge I hear, Scully? Cause I gotta say, I’m always hard up for a challenge like that one.” He leaned back and crossed his exposed golden forearms over his chest, looking proud of himself. And all Scully wanted to do, was yank on that crooked ugly tie and kiss that big lipped mouth of his.

“Shut up, Mulder.” She bit her lip to withhold her emerging smile. She wondered on a rather regular basis how he could affect her like that so goddamn often.

Changing the subject for her own sake, she shook her head and reached over to click her way into her email for the both of them to see the next stanza of the poem.

As she brought it up, Mulder rolled his way even closer into her, invading whatever was left of her personal space. His cologne seemed stronger today, more enticing, or maybe it was just because she has been hyper aware of his proximity ever since they shared that bed in Kansas.

“Scully?”

“Huh?” She realized she had been staring off into space while Mulder had been gazing at her. Sometimes she got lucky and caught him looking at her the way that she looked at him. “Mulder, this whole thing doesn’t seem weird to you?”

Mulder grinned up at her from his chair as he nudged her hip with his index finger and asked, “what’s wrong with weird?” as he dramatically swiped an arm over his body from head to toe.

Scully giggled. She couldn’t help it and she couldn’t ignore the fact that Mulder reveled in her laughter. “Okayyy, Vanna White. And it screams stranger danger, Mulder. That’s what’s wrong with _this_ kind of weird.”

“What, none of this does anything for you, Scully?”

“Well…” She grew serious for a moment because his question threw her off kilter. The truth was that it did. She had admitted that to herself already, but to the degree in which she might swoon for the man who had send these things to her, all depended on whether or not that man was sitting in front of her. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

Mulder widened his eyes at that reply but before he could press her further, she leaned over and read aloud the words written in the email.

_If you were my island, then I’d be your sea,_

_caressing your shores, soft and gentle I’d be._

_My tidal embrace would leave gifts on your sands,_

_but by current and storm, I’d ward your gentle lands._

Scully gaped at the lines about the sea. Whomever had chosen this poem, had done so with great care and consideration to focus on what little passions she did have. The last line in particular had reminded her of Mulder and herself. _“...by current and storm, I’d ward your gentle lands,”_ was powerful. She chewed on her bottom lip and grew suddenly weary of any prolonged eye contact with her partner, whom she felt begging for attention with an intense stare boring into her.

“That’s pretty powerful stuff, Scully. Romantic.” Mulder eyed her as she mulled over the poem and the flowers that accompanied it. He placed a hand on her knee that was bent up along the edge of the desk just as she popped her lip free from the gnawing session within her teeth.

“Yes, it is powerful. And yes, it’s a romantic poem.”

“But?” Keeping his hand on her knee, he slowly circled his thumb along the curve of it while feeling the tiny jolts of her muscles twitching under his palm.

She looked at him honestly. “I don’t need a grand gesture of romance, Mulder.”

“No one really _needs_ romance, Scully. That’s what makes it special.”

“What I mean is...” she paused as images of past personal and intimate moments in her life flashed before her eyes; only to realize that nearly every single one that truly mattered enough to recall, included the man in front of her. “I suppose I’d prefer to experience a slow burning love. One that tells a story—subtle anticipation,” she shrugged while looking into his reassuring eyes, slightly embarrassed at her admission.

Mulder leaned his head in closer to her hip. “Like the kind that gradually warms you from the inside out? The kind that sparks a fire deep in your soul that slowly consumes your mind and threatens to engulf your body?”

Mulder never broke eye contact as his intensifying stare darted from one wide blue eye of hers to the other. Scully herself leaned her head down even further and knew she hadn’t once blinked since he opened his mouth. Spellbound, she couldn’t look away even if she wanted to.

“The kind of love that can burn you with a single touch?” he finished.

Blinking rapidly as the last of his words sunk in, she took several breaths and turned herself away from Mulder’s fiery eyes. “Yeah. Exactly,” she rasped.

“Lucky you then. That’s the best kind of love there is.” He squeezed her knee, imprinting himself into her skin, and gazed at her, even as he recalled telling Holman he did no such thing. “I think it’s a nice gesture of intent to romance you at any rate. I’d feel lucky. If it were me, that is.”

“Mmhmm…” She leaned back, composing herself and turned to busy her hands on pile of already neatly stacked papers while fighting off a flush of heat along her chest and neck.

She’d admit that she did felt lucky, flattered even to be thought of so highly by someone else. Even so, she glanced at her partner lounging back in his chair with a coy smirk tugging on his mouth. Scully had a suspicion—a hope rather—that luck had absolutely nothing to do with it.

——

Friday, February 13, 1999

FBI Hoover Building

3rd Floor Bullpen

8:26am

Her heels clicked loudly along the hallway as she walked as fast as she dared while juggling her and Mulder’s last minute generic coffee. She had forgotten it was her turn yesterday when her mind had been wandering in a more romantic direction once again. Setting her alarm a full 30 minutes earlier today, she made it a point to make it to her desk before the rose did. Yet musing about her life and her life with Mulder, had kept her tossing and turning throughout the night.  

Just as she rounded the corner, she spotted three men walking away from the area around her desk. She stopped in her tracks and stared down each one like a suspect under interrogation. Two of the agents she vaguely remembered from a past case turned and looked at her as they moved to the opposite side of the bullpen. One man shyly waved while another smiled at her before finding their desks.

“Hmm…” That spurred her to dart over to her own desk, eyes roaming for another rose. Her heightened anticipation to see the color was maddening.

On her way, Mulder noticed her arrival and stopped her. “Scully! Oh, you got the coffee. Looks like great minds think alike.” Mulder excitedly waved his arm over to her tidy desk where a large Ebenezers coffee cup sat next to her favorite bran muffin from the shop nowhere near work. “No big deal.”

He thought it was no big deal that he brought her her favorite coffee and went far out of his way to get her favorite overly priced muffin. Scully on the other hand, thought it was a very big deal. Just another example of the unspoken language of love between them.

Yes, it was a language of love. The dangerous two-step of avoiding their feelings throughout the years was starting to get too hot for Scully’s emotional armor to handle.

She had thought long and hard over the last few days—over the last few years to be honest—and had finally accepted the conclusion that she was fully and hopelessly in love with her partner. Though, she’s felt that slow burning fire Mulder described for a very long time now. Her admittance to the revelation hadn’t been as scary to her as she thought. Scully just felt a calming sense of peace settle her skeptical mind. Gone, was that niggling denial in the back of her brain telling her it really wasn’t _that_ kind of love.

And oh, how wrong she was deny herself that relief for so long.

“Mulder…” She just stood there and grinned at him. She didn’t even care if anyone saw the awed look of gratitude blatantly displayed on her face as she gazed upon her partner’s pleased smile. “You didn’t have to you know.”

Not knowing if it was a reaction to the touching gestures as of late or the fact that Mulder was now biting his perfect bottom lip while he trailed his golden eyes down to her chest, but Scully was aroused way more than usual around her handsome partner and had been this way for days. Not to mention, her vibrator had really gotten a workout ever since she returned home from their little sleep over in Kansas.

“I know. But what can I say? You bring out the giving side of my otherwise mercurial personality.”

Mulder was so caught up in her reaction to the breakfast and the gleam in her eyes that he had nearly forgotten about the new flower and poem that awaited her. These were to be the last anonymous tokens given before he revealed himself tomorrow night. He hoped at least that she wouldn’t be shocked or worse, disappointed when he did.

Talk about potential for extreme embarrassment and heartbreak on his part.

Scully held up their less appealing coffees and set them on the only clean area of his desk. “For later then. I’ll never pass up the good stuff.” He chuckled at their long standing joke on how Ebenezer’s coffee compared to only the ‘good’ meds they had both received their fair shares of in their more serious stays in the hospital.

She walked over to her desk and he watched her eyes widen at the fully bloomed soft peach rose added to the others. “Peach. Would you like to know the meaning of that color?” He walked over and plopped an ass cheek on her desk. Nodding, she sat in her chair and she sipped her coffee as she opened up her email.

“Please explain what a peach rose stands for.”

“Someone who wants to show appreciation for the person they admire would give a peach rose,” he explained, scooting a little closer to her. “It can show a deeper way to say thank you, a way to express their gratitude for them. It’s an intriguing way to show how grateful they are for them being in their lives. How much they couldn’t do it all without them.”

Scully pulled up the new email and glanced up behind her. “Sure is an elegant way to show it—to show how much you need someone.”

“Love and romance usually is. An elegant and dangerous dance.”

Mulder aptly watched as Scully took in a long ragged breath before blinking and turning back to the screen.

Clearing her throat, she read the line to him.

_If you were loves promise, then I would be time,_

_your constant companion til stars align…_

“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s… beautiful. So that’s it then.”

Mulder touched her shoulder and she looked up at him. “It’s not finished. See the ellipsis?”

“Of course,” she shook her head, slightly flustered, and studied each flower. “The words of the poem do go perfectly with the color combinations of the roses though, don’t they?”

Mulder tried to read the expressions she was giving off but could only see half of her beautiful profile as her fingers ran along each of the roses petals. He prayed to whatever God was listening to him that she won’t need an explanation of the final rose he plans to give her at the banquet. After he finishes the poem for her, he can only hope she that returns his sentiments.

“Obviously someone really, really likes you, Scully,” Mulder said with what sounded like a possessive growl laced through his voice.

At a loss for words, she stared thoughtfully back at the anonymous email on the screen—the unfinished poem sending the message that whomever her secret admirer was, they intended to reveal themselves to her tomorrow night in order to finish it.

She felt Mulder’s watchful eyes dance along her skin as he undoubtedly analyzed her body language. He hovered above her like the usual Mulder she knew and loved, and not like a nervous man about to risk it all. It only made this whole secret admirer situation all the more baffling.

What the hell is going on here? she wondered, a barrage of questions raced through her mind. If the highly personalized roses and the intimate poem were truly not from Mulder, then who else could possibly know her well enough to romanticize her this way? Not only that, who the hell was ballsy enough to try and woo her right in front of her protective partner?

Absolutely no one; and that fact proved over time to be the only way she ever wanted it.

Swiveling in her chair as she tapped a finger along her lips, she leaned in front of Mulder and scanned the room of agents in hopes of catching anyone watching her. Seeing nothing but agents half asleep at their desks, she turned back to witness Mulder’s visibly clenched jaw. A look flashed across his face that seemed awfully like jealousy to her. A look that she knew had also graced her own face pertaining to a certain woman currently warming her chair in the basement.

“Anyone catch your eye?” Mulder smirked. Although, he’d be lying to himself if he said watching her size up every man in the bullpen didn’t make him feel a little territorial. “Could be anyone in this building, Scully. Man or woman.” He laughed as she scoffed at him and bit back her own smile. “I’m just saying you’re a strong, beautiful, intelligent, caring woman. You turn heads, Scully.”

“I’m flattered, really.” She waved off his compliments the same as she waved a hand out to the glass holding the bright multi-colored roses. Scully tried to sound unaffected by his thoughts of her yet the warmth pooling in her center told otherwise. “But, I’m not sure flowers are enough to get me to agree to a blind date at a mandatory work event.”

“Oh? Not even the poem to go along with it could bring out the softer side of Agent Scully? he tsked and shook his head, hoping to get a rise out of her. “And to turn down romance on Valentine's Day, no less.”

Matching his wide smile that so easily lit up his face, she leaned in on the desk closer to where he sat with biceps perfectly bracketing her breasts through her form fitting green sweater, as if to tell him a secret.

“To be fair, this poem isn’t finished so I can’t say that it won’t actually _affect_ me in that particular way at the moment. And being honest,” she teased her lips with her tongue, “I doubt anyone here has the will power to actually go through with dating Mrs. Spooky.”

“Is that so?” Exaggerating surprise, he brushed a stray hair away from her mouth and boldly tucked it behind her ear. Watching her breaths quicken, he decided to add in his honest and open opinion. “You know… you’re probably right to ignore the romantic gestures.”

Scully arched a brow while his fingers lingered near her ear, eager to hear what the only man she could ever see herself with—her flicked switch—thought of an admirer’s clear indication of physical and emotional attraction for her.

Finally dropping his hand, he told her, “I doubt _anyone_ has what it takes love you the way you deserve.” His words were as serious as his unflinching stare, and she felt each one sink in deep and settle somewhere between her now pounding heart and the butterflies fluttering within her belly. Mulder left her speechless, and instantly Scully craved for more than just his intense eyes holding her own. “But I for one, can’t wait to see who desires the opportunity to try, Scully. Can you?”

She couldn’t answer him through her dry, tightening throat because the only thought that had immediately swirled in her mind, was just how disappointed she would be if her secret admirer turned out to be anyone but Fox Mulder.  

——

 

 

 


	2. Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully attend the FBI's black tie benefit fundraiser. Things take a significant turn.

—

Saturday February 14, 1999

Federal Benefit Fundraiser

The St. Regis Washington, D.C.

923 16th Street and K Street

Astor Ballroom

7:32pm

Mulder’s cab had dropped him off at the front entrance of the hotel a half hour late. Which meant Scully had been here for at least an hour now. The cold weather forced him to wear an old dress coat from his father to go over his tux. So after a trip to the labyrinth of overflowing winter wear in the coat room down the hall, Mulder snagged a glass of wine off the bar on his way into the ballroom. He had a feeling that he’d be needing a little liquid courage tonight.

The opulence in The St. Regis Washington was outstanding. The FBI spared no expense to benefit the families and their fallen loved ones. The cash donation jars that were manned by two burly security guards were filling up nicely and the fundraiser had only just begun.

With the event being a mandatory one, the entire section of the hotel was packed with members of the FBI and a few from SWAT whom were apart of the raid itself. Even though most of the agents who lost their lives or who were still recovering from their injuries thought ole Spooky was a flake, and had told him so to his face, Mulder still felt horrible about the outcome and the void that their families are now left with.

He swirled the white wine around in his glass and took a large drink. He knew all too well what it felt like to live with loss and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Life was too short. And that was just another reason for him to put his relationship—his whole life rather, on the line.

Taking another long swig of wine, Mulder reached down in the pocket of his double breasted tuxedo to gently pull out one final rose. His heart rate spiked just staring at it as the implications will quite literally affect his relationship and future with Scully tonight.

His determination returned full force when he noticed two female agents just a foot away, running their hands through each other’s hair, freely professing their love for one another and sealing it with a very loud, explicit kiss.

“ _You_ can do this. You’re Fox freaking Mulder and you’re in love with your partner. Fuck…”

Mulder walked through the candlelit banquet part of the ballroom and found his and Scully’s name tag resting on their dinner plates at their table. Each white linen covered table was labeled with specific FBI divisions. Instead of his and Scully’s department being labeled “X-Files Division,” it was labeled “Criminal Investigative Information Division.”

He scoffed. “Fancy name for background-checking shit-inspectors.”

The other name tags at their table were unknown to him so he figured they at least got lucky that they weren’t stuck sitting next to a tipsy, judgmental Kersh and his usually flirtatious wife. His stomach was upset enough as it was and witnessing Kersh sucking face like he had in the parking garage two weeks prior, certainly was not going to help.

Setting the the fully bloomed rose down beside Scully’s name tag, he took one last deep breath and turned in search of his better half.

——

The flash of copper and crimson shining under the crystal chandeliers caught Mulder’s attention as he scanned the growing crowd. He saw her moving slowly through the herd of tuxedos and flowing dresses and suddenly felt the need to loosen his tie at the heart-stopping sight before him.

Scully’s body was hugged by her thin, silky black dress that rested just barely an inch above the bend of her knees. The dress was perfect for her as it showcased her toned, slender legs all the way down to her patent leather heels. He nearly choked on the mouthful of air he’d inhaled as she turned just enough for him to catch a glimpse of the low dip of material that exposed the expanse of her back entirely, barely hiding the ink of her tattoo. Just two taut strings exed across her flawless alabaster skin and his hands itched to touch it.

He watched her ruby red lips move while she spoke to a group of women and her throat rippled as she swallowed a mouthful of wine. Jesus, she had hardly any makeup on and her pale flawless skin was glowing under the banquet lighting.

He couldn’t help but fantasize about trailing kisses along the expanse of her throat and slowly unwrapping the halter straps from around her neck. His eyes traveled down to her cleavage, the very tops of her braless breasts slightly undulating with her movement. The sudden thought that if tonight didn’t go well he may never have the privilege of setting his eyes upon them, exposed bare beneath him as he worshiped every slope and curve. It sent a jolt of sorrow through him that he hoped he’d never have to endure. Torturing yourself again, he ridiculed.

Shutting his eyes and inhaling deeply to get a hold of himself, Mulder decided he’d spent enough time admiring his beautiful partner from afar. He shimmied his way through the crowded dance floor, his gaze unwavering. He was about to announce himself to her turned back and the women from Quantico in front of her, until he heard it. Scully laughed. That loud joyous belly laughter that sounded as if it poured right out of her soul. Her laugh—rare as it was—did things to him. Things that best friends and FBI partners just didn’t feel.

Instantly, he felt his body react to the sultry sound as his entire groin tingled and grew painfully hard. Mulder stood right behind Scully and watched as her narrow shoulders shook while she tossed her head back in an unordinary fit of glee. The wine was certainly showing off its effects on her uninhibited side.

Giving into his impulsiveness for once and hoping his excitement for her was hidden well enough, Mulder brought his hands up to touch her. He allowed his palms to cover her shoulder and his long fingers draped down onto her thin collarbone. He bit his lip to stifle a groan as Scully stiffened and her giggles died off. He felt multiple pairs of eyes bore into him and realized he had forgotten to speak.

“You’re stunning when you laugh, Scully,” he breathed into her ear, his cheek rubbing along her soft, neatly curled hair.

Scully’s muscles instantly relaxed under his touch and she smiled. “There you are.” Spinning around in anticipation to see the rare image of her partner in a tux, her smile grew as her eyes flicked over his beautiful body with appreciative assessment. “Mulder,” she exhaled, her breasts now heaving beneath what little of her dress covered them. “Jesus…” Christ, she finished unspoken. He looked insanely sexy.

There were times when he could down right shock Scully with his attractive qualities when she least expected it throughout their years of working side by side. But a clean shaven Fox Mulder dressed to the nines in a very fitted tuxedo, was her cherry on top.

Scully heard her Quantico acquaintances giggling and failing in their attempts to stifle moans around her. She could only bite at her lip to fight off the cringing thoughts of herself listening to them swoon over how lucky she was to have Sexy-Mulder as her partner for the past six years.

Mulder saw the thoughts running through her mind so he reluctantly leaned back to let his hands drop to his sides and cleared his throat.

“Hey, there. Sorry I’m late. Couldn’t find my other cufflink.” Truth be told, he had images flashing before his eyes of Scully in a beautiful dress with a plethora of milky white skin showing on repeat the entire day. He ended up succumbing to temptations and added an extra 23 minutes of vigorous wrist action to his shower this evening. It relaxed him, more than once and was enough to feel confident in his ability to handle touching Scully in a dress without being consistently hard.

Looking at her now, he really was sorry to miss even a second of being in her presence tonight.

“Uh huh,” she nodded. “I know how much you enjoy these formal banquets, Mulder. Almost as much as you enjoy doing backlogged reports.” Scully could barely breathe at the sight of him. His black tux fit his toned lanky body like a glove. His hair was brushed up and off of his forehead and she instantly pictured him running his fingers through it in front of the mirror.

Smiling, he returned her banter. “Oh trust me, Scully. Tonight, I really am sorry to have missed walking into this or any room with you standing next to me, looking as amazing as you do right now.” Mulder only grinned when he noticed her wine flushed cheeks deepen to a shade of red.

She placed her hand over her chest, covering the rounded mounds of breast that swelled against the tight fabric of her dress. She looked amazing and he found himself blatantly ogling is best friend in front of half of the women of the FBI. From the flush of her neck and downcast eyes she must have noticed.

Stepping back in closer to her as the crowd of women parted like the Red Sea to chat elsewhere, he leaned down and whispered, “I’m sorry, Scully. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

He grazed two fingers down her wrist and watched her eyes flutter as she gnawed on her lip. Yes he was trying to romance his partner, but making her uncomfortable was not his intention.

Her eyes dragged up to his, giving him a sad smile. “It’s not you. You never make me feel uncomfortable. You’re good to me, Mulder.” He couldn’t hold back smiling or the slight blush he felt taking over his own neck. “It’s just that I don’t usually dress like _this_. You know, overdressed. Or in my case, underdressed.” Mulder’s eyebrows shot up at the realization that she felt self-conscious.

“Scully,” he admonished. “It hurts me to think for a second you’re insecure or self-conscious, you are beyond a shadow of a doubt, absolutely gorgeous. Down right sexy.” Scully’s mouth fell open unbidden and she just stared into his eyes, unblinking.

Silence reigned between them for what seemed like an hour, but was no more than 20 seconds. “But that dress, doesn’t hold a candle to you in your satin pajamas,” he deadpanned, completely serious.

She laughed loudly, shaking her head just as she had when he first saw her and it only increased the cracking electricity between them. “Thank you. You look… very, very handsome yourself.” Scully avoided eye contact and hid a delighted grin forming on her lips behind her wine glass.

Scully thought if she could just blame her near constant blushing on the wine, then she might be able to finish out the night without it ending in complete embarrassment. Good Lord, she had blushed and been rendered speechless more times in the last week than she had in the last year. Her self-control was waning with him, and she found it only titillated her more.

Mulder was ready with his charm waiting for her when she finally glanced back up at him. Being the gentleman he was, he held out his arm for her and gave her a languid wink with that adorable lopsided smile of his when she excitingly took it, brushing her hardening nipples along his forearm.

Well that sure reaffirmed her thoughts on needing to hide her flushing Irish skin. What she wanted was more wine. But what she knew she needed, was her partner’s mouth devouring hers in the first available hidden corner.

Easy Dana, her mind pulled the reins back on her rapidly rising libido as they walked and reluctantly greeted the big wigs of the FBI.

As time went on, several different options to donate and aid in the recovery of the injured agents were offered. One in particular stood out to Scully. And in a bold and uncharacteristic move on her part in an attempt be expressive with her feelings, she pulled out a twenty and quickly hid the fact that she had just bought herself a personal dance with Mulder.

“Agent Mulder and Agent Scully,” A.D. Kersh greeted the duo with a nod as his wife Janice grinned sweetly at them both. “Glad to see you two following the rules for once—supporting your fellow agents.”

“Of course, Sir.” Scully squeezed Mulder’s bicep and donned her best toothy smile in hopes that Mulder would follow along without protest.

“Yes, Sir,” he paused, noticing the near empty cocktail in his hand, and decided to bat a thousand by just be his usual smartass self with Kersh. “It _was_ mandatory and we’re striving to be the best brown-nosers in the Bureau nowadays.”

Scully felt the flush that she’d held onto throughout the night drain from her face instantly as slowly pinched Mulder’s muscle through the tuxedo’s jacket. Just as she opened her mouth for a quick subject change, Janice laughed and patted Kersh on his chest. “Oh Alvin, you’ve kept this one a secret for a reason I see. Too bad too. It’s refreshing to hear a little humor now and then. Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Oh I know better than to disagree with that smile tonight,” Kersh leered.

Mulder and Scully held their breath with widened eyes as they watched Janice and their A.D. smile knowingly at one another, grimacing at the visual they were just left with while she steered him over to the bar.

Mulder huffed out a snort and watched Scully purse her lips. “Funny, Mulder. I don’t want to hear you complain when a new stack of manure inspections lands on your desk Monday morning.”

“Noted,” he shrugged, caressing her hand and fingers that still clutched at his bicep until she nearly melted.

“Although, it _was_ nice to see Kersh being handled by his wife,” she hid her smirk with a hand and her immediate response to lewdly lick her lips while he touched her.

“I can relate. You handle me all the time, Scully.” The deeper meaning of his words were not lost to either of them. And as a slow sexy grin took over his handsome face, she was reminded just how dangerous his smiles were.

They were caught getting lost in one another’s eyes when one of Scully’s regular assistants in the morgue bumped into her and commented on how she thought Mulder’s red handkerchief and her matching red earrings were “absolutely adorable.” After that, Mulder suggested they find their seats for dinner soon and she couldn’t have agreed more with how swiftly her need for him was building. In more ways than one.

His hand automatically fell to the small of her partially bared back and the shock of his skin touching hers seared heat right through to her core. Immediately, her mind recalled Mulder’s words from the day before. _‘You’re a strong, beautiful, intelligent, caring woman. You turn heads, Scully.’_ She turned heads, sure. But so did he; and as she held her dance ticket within her small clutch purse, Scully knew every available female agent here wanted to dance with him just as much as she did.

A startling fact slammed into her as she watched Diana Fowley shimmering in red move through the crowd. Even though Scully knew Mulder loved her and told her so not long ago, she still wasn’t sure if his love for her was the same as what she felt for him. And holding a ticket to dance with Mulder, certainly hadn’t ensured that she held the ticket to his heart.

——

Mulder’s hand that covered Scully’s draped over his arm was now sweating and his heart pounded profusely in his ears as he lead them to their seats. The bold colored rose glowed against the white linen table cloth and he watched her sit down with rapt attention, anxiously waiting for her to notice the final piece of the puzzle for her that shaped his heart.

Just as Scully adjusted her dress and went to wave Mulder down next to her, she saw an agent beeline his way over and barely stopped himself from spilling his whiskey.

“Hey, Spooky,” Agent Simmons from Fraud slurred into Mulder’s ear while he slapped his hand along his shoulder, jostling him and the wine glasses on the table. Mulder smelled the alcohol permeating off the agent as he spoke and just rolled his eyes, shrugging the sweaty hand off his shoulder.

Getting drunk after just two hours of being at a work related fundraiser was pathetic.

“Evening, Dana. You’re looking niiiice tonight,” he drawled, but Scully wasn’t amused in the slightest. She cleared her throat and tisked at his drunkenness while binding her grimace behind her well-manicured fingers. Just as Agent Simmons seemed to get the dismissive hint, another loud voice sounded from behind them all.

“Ah, Dana Scully. I wondered if I’d see you here.” Agent Tom Colton stepped up and stuck his unwelcomed hand on the back of Scully’s chair, purposely brushing the skin of her arm as he hovered over her too close for comfort. Especially Mulder’s. His hands automatically curled into fists and his patience for annoying agents deflated in an instant.

He watched as Colton’s eyes flicked down, noticing the bright singular rose resting along side of Scully’s name tag before she even had a chance to see it herself. Panic seized Mulder at the sudden thought of being called out as Scully’s secret admirer and laughed out of the fundraiser by asshole Tom Colton in front of hundreds of their peers.

“What the hell kind of rose is that, Dana. They giving those out at the door?”

It was Mulder’s turn to clear his throat and mockingly slapped a hand along both Agent Colton’s and Agent Simmons’ backs. They had the distinct look of surprise and fear as they stared at what Mulder felt was his “back the fuck off” face followed by a flash of embarrassment at his failed attempt at flirting.  

“Oh, didn’t see ya there, Spooky,” Colton laughed nervously. “Figured since she’s no longer banned to the basement, that Dana would want to enjoy herself tonight and choose to leave you in the bullpen.”

The two agents snickered at one another while Mulder stared daggers their way but pursed his lips to keep himself from saying something that would embarrass Scully. Even though those two were assholes, he figured whatever dickish things they thought about him were probably right.

But as his anger dissipated at their dumb and drunk behavior, he glanced over at Scully and he saw that she did not share his thoughts in the slightest. Anger radiated off of her reddening face and her usual gentle fingers fisted the linen tablecloth. Reading her body language like a book, he saw that Scully was dangerously pissed off and was about to set them both straight with a punch to the jaw. Mulder just shoved the men away and narrowed his eyes onto Scully, beckoning her to look at him.

Scully fumed in her chair as she watched two jerks make fun of Mulder right in front of their faces. Tom’s audacity had her two seconds from getting another black mark in her jacket and she would bare that mark with pride. She saw red. This time she would punctuate it with every bone jarring swing she took at his face. And when Tom flippantly commented about a rose, Scully managed to tear her death stare away from him only to see red again. This time it was in the form of a flower.

Feeling a familiar prickle at her skin that only Mulder’s intense gaze gave her, she locked eyes with him and he conveyed to her just how unimportant he deemed the comments of men like Tom Colton.

Scully ardor calmed as their eyes danced back and forth, sharing much more than one simple message. They were alone now and Mulder stepped up to her, brushing his legs along her nylon covered knees. Looking straight up at him, his hands in his pockets with a pensive look on his face, she watched his eyes move to the rose in front of her.

Since the moment Scully had laid eyes on Mulder tonight, she’d fully immersed herself in him and had almost forgotten about the rose and her secret admirer.

“It’s beautiful.”

Scully spun the rose between her fingers. The bottom curve of the flower was bright yellow with the top portion and its petals dipped in a deep red, the dark color dripping down to seep into the yellow. A lump in her throat was building fast as she thought of what the color combination meant. Her eyes welled and she turned to him. The one and only person who could ever love her this way.

“Mulder—”

“Yeah, Scully,” he said low and gravely as he sat beside her, “It’s me. Surprised?” She just shook her head and Mulder wanted to say it all—tell her right then and there exactly how he felt about her. “I know that this may seem like a sudden move on my part,” he offered, nodding to the rose in her hand, “but this means—”

“Love,” she cut in, surprising herself and darted her eyes back down to the flower. “Red roses mean love, romance, and a deep desire to show how much you love the one you give it to.” She was breathless and utterly shocked at how much this single novelty flower was affecting her. She’d researched what a red rose meant after receiving the others, hoping that she would be getting a red one from Mulder. But only from Mulder, that is.

Romance wasn’t usually her thing yet Mulder was, and she _felt_ that.

Mulder laid a hand over her her fingers and stilled them as they rubbed along the petals. “It’s a love rooted in friendship.” He held his breath, watching as the tears hovering along her eyelids spilled over and trailed down the swell of her cheeks. Her chin quivered and he felt her hand turn under his, lacing her fingers tightly between his own.

Eyes fluttering, she managed a small smile through her tears. “Mulder…”

“You don’t have to say anything right now, Scully.” Mulder carefully thumbed away the tearmarks that exposed her freckles. He had felt confident in her reaction but now that she started talking, he was suddenly afraid it wasn’t what he hoped to hear. “I know you said you don’t need this sort of thing, but I _wanted_ to do something like this for you. I have for a long time now but I—it just…”

“Mulder...”

Hovering just inches from her ear, he searched for the right words, the ones he’d thought about saying for so long but were stuck somewhere between his stupidly smart brain and his rambling mouth.

“With you and I the timing has always… fuck Scully…” he sighed, frustrated, and sheepishly looked at her to see a ghost of a smile playing at her mouth. “Sorry I ju—”

“Mulder! You’re the only one I’d ever want to admire me—to touch me and love me this way. You’re it. And I’ve known this for a long time now, too.” She actually said it. After years of denying and suppressing, she was finally brave enough to admit it out loud. To him and herself! And she was surprised to find, that the world didn’t end after all. “Yeah, Mulder, it’s love rooted in friendship.”

Mulder’s eyes fell shut as relief replaced fear. He rubbed their joined hands hidden on her lap beneath the table cloth and dragged his eyelids back open to meet her shining blue ones.

No more denied emotion. He was through with disciplining his heart. Something he had said to her over six years ago came to mind and he couldn’t help but repeat it now. “It seems that we’ve finally turned to the fantastic as a plausibility.”

“How do you mean?”

“That you could fathom sticking around long enough for me to fall in love with you.”

She gasped at his blatant admission. Feeling it in her heart and hearing it said so freely to her without the pretense of a head injury was a very powerful thing. She placed her free hand on his knee and squeezed reassuringly while they each took a moment to revel in this unusual bout of emotional acknowledgement.

Staring at Mulder, Scully ignored the other agents as they found their assigned seats next to them while dinner was being announced. Her own words from their first day as partners tumbled from her lips.

“The answers were there, Mulder. We just had to know where to look.”

——

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you some how missed it, the end comments referred to the dialogue in the pilot episode.


	3. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions are made and the partnership of Mulder and Scully is pushed to new limits.

——

Saturday February 14, 1999

Federal Benefit Fundraiser

The St. Regis Washington, D.C.

923 16th Street and K Street

Astor Ballroom

9:10pm

They talked throughout dinner, wine flowing through their veins with their faces much closer together than needed. Their thighs touched and fingertips brushed each other’s hands at unnecessary moments all whilst causing mutual bouts of blushing. The other agents assigned to their table had barely noticed they were there and the majority of the people attending the fundraiser were taking full advantage of the well stocked bar. The fact that it was Valentine's Day and the stark reality of how short life really was in their line of work had clearly affected all of the usually straight laced, down to business members of the Justice Department. 

Mulder seemed shockingly comfortable at a mandatory FBI event and she certainly knew that it had nothing to do with the shared company surrounding them. Finally confessing his deeper feelings for her after years of hiding them would surely relieve some tension. Albeit, the shared rounds of Jack Daniels shots that several agents close to those lost had bought for the entire room, most definitely brought smiles to everyone's faces. They all toasted and drank to the six agents that perished and the Director made the announcement that there would be mandatory cab rides available for those too inebriated to walk a line. 

Seeing Mulder’s face light up as he looked at her throughout dinner, with an intensity that was usually only offered up for seeking the truth, made her warm and tingly all over. A feeling she’d tried very hard to keep buried over the years. But tonight, she no longer felt she had to. 

Tonight, everything changes. 

With her heart racing as Mulder’s intense eyes drew her in even more, she realized she was ever so slowly giving herself away to him fully and completely piece by piece and had been since she met him. She didn’t want to fall even harder, even deeper than she was already because that was dangerous. It was dangerous to love Mulder. She’s known that for years yet it was a lure that took hold of her heart that only seemed to draw her into him. 

Only him. 

Mulder’s hand traveled under the table to rest on her thigh as the Assistant Director’s followed the Deputy Director to the front of the ballroom. 

“Good evening Special Agents and SWAT team members. Thank you all for donating and showing your support for your colleagues and their families during this difficult time.” 

Mulder’s hand burned against the silk of her dress, sending a jolt of moisture all the way through the crotch of her sheer nylons. Squirming in her seat, she glanced at Mulder’s profile and watched him don a wicked smirk, as if he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

Hypnotized, she darted her eyes to her wine glass and took a healthy swig. Scully’s brain buzzed with thoughts of Mulder’s hand gliding up her thigh, spreading her open in ways she’s only dreamed of. 

“To carry on with raising the funds needed,” Skinner stepped in to continue, “we’re going to open the dance floor up now for you ladies who purchased tickets to dance with your partner of choice.” A few collective masculine groans echoed among the crowd and Skinner tisked. “It’s a fundraiser people. Let’s not forget the real purpose of this event. That being said, happy Valentines Day ladies. Romance is underrated,” he added and his whole head blushed red as a few women awed for him. 

“The odds for Skinner getting lucky tonight just improved drastically,” Mulder chuckled and waved a hand at Skinner getting pulled by Arlene onto the dance floor. 

“Mulder,” Scully scoffed and rolled her eyes as she stood with her clutch purse in hand.

“You haven’t noticed Agent Strickland over there gazing at him for months now during our budget meetings have you?” 

“Agent Paul Strickland?” She arched a brow. “No, I guess I haven’t.” 

The lights in the ballroom dimmed while dinner music morphed into a love song of the 80’s and the women of the FBI found their dancing partners. 

“Like I said, Skinner has options tonight, Scully.” He stood and picked up the rose, no longer joking as he felt his stomach flip. “Hopefully I’m yours.” 

Her chest quickly expanded and he watched her tongue swipe slowly along her top lip. “You’re never an option to me, Mulder. I choose you.” 

He swore his knees turned to Jell-O in that moment and knew a goofy grin was plastered to his face, but he didn’t give a damn because his Scully chose him.

“Mulder?” She touched his hand now gripping the back of his chair while he tried not to giggle like a schoolgirl at prom. 

“Huh?” 

Smiling with bright cheeks, she took the rose and said something about using the restroom. Mulder felt himself grow hard as he watched her saunter off with her slender hips swaying to the voice of Madonna. 

“Jesus, I’m in trouble here,” he mumbled. He understood the position he’d put himself in tonight, confessing his feelings. He’s toed that line before in telling her he loved her—only to be met with skepticism as he hovered over the platonic line. Scully needed her proof and Mulder intended on giving every last bit to her if she’d only let him in. 

He felt a hand on his arm and the strong scent of  _ Chanel no 5  _ assault his senses. 

“Hello, Fox,” Diana said with that familiar manipulative smile she wore for not only him. “You look handsome tonight.” Her fingers played with the red handkerchief in his left pocket that Mulder felt was all too close to playing with his heart. 

Those days were long over and he couldn’t help but feel elated that a much better woman would be the only one to ever put her hands on his precious organ again. “Thanks. You too.” His manners getting the best of him, he smiled in returning the sentiment. 

“I bought this and was saving it for you,” she waved her dance ticket between two fingers and bit her overly red lip that matched her skimpy red dress. 

Mulder tried to seem surprised at her actions but he wasn't. In fact, this was just like her, using her terrible timing and audacity to insert herself in his life whenever she felt like it. 

“Oh, I appreciate the gesture. But me, and my dances, are reserved for someone else.” 

The fact that he had no interest in her romantically since she’d popped back into the Bureau wasn’t even the point at the moment. Her stepping on his toes as he was on the verge of a life-altering relationship shift with Scully  _ was _ the point and he wasn’t about to allow her, Kersh, the Syndicate, or a goddamn apocalyptic event unfolding around him to stop them now. 

“I’m taken.”

Diana narrowed her eyes as they moved behind him and pursed her lips with disdain.

“That’s good to hear,” Scully said from behind his back. His heart skipped a beat as he turned around to face her. While he prepared himself for an angry arched brow or the brush off, her hand slid up his chest and the glint in her eyes gleamed under the dim chandelier lights. 

“Hey partner,” he covered her hand with his and took her rose clutched within the other, tucking it away in his pocket. “You feel like dancing?”

“Funny you should ask. I have a ticket for that, paid in full... just for you.”

“You never need to pay for my undivided attention, Scully,” he grinned and held out his arm. “Dance with me.” 

Scully could have cared less about  _ how _ she danced with Mulder. Just as long as she did. She hooked her arm through his and he lead her into the growing mass of couples dancing to Elton John’s “Your Song.”

Relieved, Mulder glanced back as he held Scully close and saw Diana glaring at them both, draining her half full glass of wine and tossing her dance ticket onto Mulder’s dinner plate. 

——

Mulder’s hand went to the side of Scully’s throat, brushing his fingertips across her soft skin to move her hair out of her face as they danced. He felt his heart swell when her pulse raced beneath his touch. The dance floor was crowded, an abundance of wine was consumed, people laughed and nuzzled one another under the dimly lit ballroom where Mulder fell in love with his partner, just a little bit more.

Scully relaxed instantly under the gentle touch of Mulder’s hands as they moved, touching one another more tonight than they ever had; and it felt so right. 

Of course Diana had pissed her off but that was nothing abnormal. In fact, Scully had suspected that her presence might cause an issue tonight. So when she had walked up and heard Mulder say that he was already taken, any pent up anger she tucked away specifically for Diana Fowley had faded into the background. 

It was her proof that Mulder wanted her as much as she wanted him. 

She ran her hand across his shoulder, to the back of his neck and allowed her fingers to tangle in his soft hair. He looked down at her with so much bottled in his expression that she had no idea what he was thinking.

“About Diana… sorry she ca—”

“Mulder, don’t ever apologize for that woman. I heard enough and I’m a big girl. I can handle her bitchiness,” she smirked and squeezed the nape of his neck with reassurance. Discussing the woman she couldn't help but hate, wasn’t what she had in mind when she planned their dance. “We have better things to think about.”

“Yeah we certainly do,” he practically growled, and she felt his chest humble along hers, rousing her nipples through her dress. Her small hand nestled deeper inside his larger one and Mulder’s warm familiar hand that splayed across the small of her back, drew her in even closer, their fronts fully touching from chest to toe. “I can get use to this, Scully.”

A shocking yet an easily recognizable heat bubbled up within her as he spoke. She had felt that exact sensation just over a week ago laying next to the man currently twirling her around the dance floor. 

A sudden memory of herself cuddling Mulder’s much larger frame with a leg tossed over his waist, an arm tucked securely around his chest, her mouth pressed against his bare bicep as drool decorated his skin in streaks flashed in her mind. Scully had awoken totally content with the fact that her best friend was sporting one massive erection that radiated heat into her inner thigh. One of his hands took up residence an inch below her ass cheek and she automatically moaned in response to where is fingers were touching. Mulder was already awake and whispering,  _ “I can get use to this, Scully,” _ into the crown of her head.

The fact that she felt more relaxed than panicked—that they had been tangled up within each other’s arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world, was something she avoided analyzing. That was until her forced conversation with Sheila in the bathroom the next night opened her eyes and unlocked her caged heart.

And her conclusion: she wanted to feel it all again with him  _ and _ then some—every single night. 

The thought that the dance floor surrounded by their bosses was not the place to be musing about sleeping with Mulder rolled around her brain. A thought Scully promptly ignored, when she scanned the room and took note that literally everyone in the FBI had a heavy dose of alcohol in their system or was grinding provocatively on their dates with their tongues down one another’s throats. Sure she daydreamed while in the basement together or more recently the bullpen. But, she usually saved her more intense Mulder fantasies for her Friday night bubble baths as she worked her waterproof vibrator between her thighs, intent on rolling one orgasm into another.

“Scully?” Mulder laced their fingers together and grinned, guessing where her mind wandered off to when he watched her eyes radiant and glowing suddenly darken while she hungrily licked her lips. “Hold on,” he told her as he stepped back, extending his arm, and deftly spun her in a circle in front of him. Her face lit up as a giggle escaped only to be interrupted by the sudden collision of their hips and a dramatic dip of her back. 

They shared a playful laugh as Mulder hovered over her, arched and heaving. His hand was supporting her entire weight between the blades of her shoulders. “Mulder! You can really dance,” she said, breathless as he gently pulled her upright, tucking her nose into the curve of his neck. 

True, he had pulled Scully out on the dance floor at a Cher concert over a year ago, but he’d been far too caught up in gazing at her while their bodies swayed against one another for him to do much else but appreciate the rare opportunity to hold her close. 

“I can. I’ve kept this particular skill underwraps for years, and I’ve saved these particular moves to dance with only the best.” Growing up on Martha’s Vineyard, he was groomed to be an excellent dancer and had yet to really show off the skills he’d honed from the two grueling semesters of professional dance classes in High School. 

“You seem to have kept a lot of skills underwraps from me.” 

They swayed to the music of “Faithfully” by Journey and drifted closer to a less crowded and more darkened corner. “Do you mean my knowledge of the deeper meanings behind colorful roses? Or maybe my tendency to check out your ass at work without getting caught?”

She pulled her face away from the nuzzled warmth of his neck and cocked a brow. “Hmm, Mulder who says you never got caught? And I  _ mean, _ the fact that you’re a swoon-worthy romantic,” she blushed. “I hadn’t realized that you were so…”

“Cheesy?” he joked when she paused to search for words, his heart slamming against his rib cage. His palms were suddenly sweaty and was sure his heart had to be loud enough for her to hear it over the music.  

“So much in love with me,” she finished, holding nothing back. And again, she couldn’t believe she had said those words out loud. 

The careen of their bodies slowed to a stop as they locked eyes, sounds fading, faces drifting closer. 

“Yes, and I meant every word, every sentiment was true, Scully. You really are the only one.” Mulder’s hand cupped her face as hers caressed his jaw. He had left a literal trail to his exposed heart in roses and words of affirmation all week. And only now did it occur to him, that Scully never really needed one. 

Scully was one to methodically plan out and examine every detail. She had planned out 100 different ways in which her and Mulder might take their relationship further. But being slowly romanced with tokens of the heart, wasn’t one of them. 

“Your one and five billion,” she reminded him. From her, it was a statement not a question, and his thumb skimmed across her bottom lip as confirmation. “Tell me, Mulder.”

His forehead nudged hers and his grip tightened around her waist. “It must’ve been weird, hearing all of this from me over the last six days.”

“What’s wrong with weird?” she couldn’t help tease him with his own words. Yet, she grew serious quickly as her heart fluttered with what would come next. “But that’s not what I meant.” Emboldened, Scully kept her palm on his jaw and slid the other up to run the backs of her fingers along his cheek. She could see the arousal, the want in his eyes. She practically felt the heat coming off of his body in waves as his erection grew large against her belly. A shiver prickled along her entire body in response. 

“If you were love's promise, then I would be time, your constant companion til stars align…” Mulder’s eyes misted over as he heard Scully repeat the last line sent of his poem for her. 

“And though we are mere mortals, true love is divine, and my devotion eternal, to my one valentine.” Mulder finished the poem and heard her breath hitch. He felt her eyelids flutter shut as she leaned her forehead against his with a sigh. 

Not giving a shit if everyone in the entire Bureau was watching them—not caring if Kersh was waiting with bated breath to put the final nail in his FBI coffin. He nuzzled her face and pressed his lips along her temple, holding them there until he felt her melt into him completely. 

“God, Mulder,” she whispered along skin, breathing in his aftershave. In that moment, her love for him swelled within her chest like a tidal wave. It was a tangible presence, this love—an emotion so profound, she had felt it quell and flow between them with emerging intensity for years now. 

And tonight as their bodies so intimately embraced one another in front of the entire FBI, she couldn’t help but give in to it all; willingly sink deeper into the vortex of Mulder and let his consuming wave of adoration wash over her. 

Her wall she had so carefully constructed since Med School, that Mulder had steadily chipped away at throughout the years, was nothing more than dust now; and Scully was about to wear her heart on her sleeve.

“Scully,” his husky voice vibrated all the way through her and she knew she couldn’t hold back much longer. Moving her face away from his, she looked into his beautiful swirling green eyes and tried to convey every thought, every emotion in one glance. 

All logic, all obligation to their work, professional and platonic behavior, and every other goddamn thing she could have thought of as a perfectly rational reason to not give into her deep-seeded feelings for her mercurial partner were meaningless in lieu of what they could have  _ together _ . 

“I feel the same way about you. You’re my Mulder,” she choked out, her voice wavering on whispers. He grinned and held her face in his hands while hers slid down to grip his lapels to support her teetering balance. “There’s more, Mulder… so much more.” Scully held his gaze and essentially poured her heart out. “I fell in love with you, too.”

Mulder’s eyes fell shut while she felt him shutter, his hands moved to down to her hips and he hugged her tight. 

Mulder nearly sobbed right then and there hearing her say the words he’d only hoped she might feel for him. He had never felt happier in his entire life than he did in that very moment with Scully. He was left utterly speechless.

“I meant it when I said that you’re the only one I want to love me this way,” Scully lifted her face from his chest and had that familiar confidence return to urge her on. 

Right then with the way she looked at him, Mulder knew for certain that the smile he now wore could have lit up the entire universe. “I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear you say that.”

“And I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally say it, how much I needed you to hear it—how much I  _ need _ you. Being honest has always been a struggle with me but tonight, I want the honesty with you. Take me home, Mulder,” she told him, her tone sensual and low. “I want you—and I don’t want to wait anymore.” 

He swallowed and took her hand. “I can do that, Scully, and so much more.”

——

With his hand warm at the small of her back, they made their way quickly through the coat room. There was no attendant to help them search through the five massive criss crossed aisles of coats. Mulder started down the aisle he remembered hanging his own jacket up at, yet quickly realized that most of the men at this thing had worn the same one he had. February weather in D.C. called for heavy outerwear along with hangers full of hats and scarfs. There was no telling where their coats were hung now and nearly 75 percent of the guests at the fundraiser were still here. 

He groaned with impatience. “This may take a while, Scully.”

Spinning around at the huge mess surrounding them, Scully tried to recall which aisle she had ventured down herself. “Mulder I don’t remember where I put mine. Arlene was talking to me when I walked in and I just followed her down to an open spot.”

“Well let’s just look through this area first. I wore my father’s jacket and it has an M embroidered on the collar.” 

They shifted through the dress coats and found Mulder’s fairly quickly. The tight pathways and darkened room only made the search for Scully’s coat more difficult as their bodies grazed one another repeatedly. The stolen looks, bitten lips, and heavy breathing were becoming a huge problem in the privacy of the confined space they were standing in. 

Truth be told, he and Scully rarely “touched” one another in more than a friendly way unless it were a life threatening event. Then all bets were off. Usually it was more of a brush of the hand here, a caress of the cheek there, or his hand resting at his usual spot on her lower back. But tonight, walls were gone, inhibitions lifted, words were  _ spoken _ , and their love flowed freely. 

“Let’s try this corner over here.” Her voice trembled as his fingers skittered across a sensitive spot on the curve of her hip and she stumbled to the side. Scully lost her balance and tripped in her high heels, falling forward into the sea of coats next to her. 

“Oh shit!” Mulder couldn’t grab hold of her arm fast enough before half of her disappeared between two thick London Fog jackets. He heard her giggling and couldn’t hold back his own laughter when she popped back out, hair frizzy, and the bottom of her dress askew. “Damn, Scully. Even when you trip you still look adorable.”

“Oh please, Mulder,” she smiled and rolled her eyes, but stopped when she saw that her nylons were stuck on one of the coat’s zippers. 

“You’re caught. Don’t mo—” As she stepped forward, her nylon stocking that clung to her knee tore fast and sure, ripping widely straight up to her hip bone. 

“Dammit!” She spun around and partially lifted her dress to examine the damage. But before she could even ask for his assistance, Mulder fell to his knees and gripped her hips with his face just an inch away from her now bare upper thigh. 

His hand replaced hers where she held up the end of her dress, and inched it up teasingly slow until the cool silky fabric tickled her now exposed hip. “Let me,” he grunted as he untangled her from the zipper. An involuntary shutter overtook her when his warm breath hit her swath of skin. 

“I think—I think I’ll have to take them off.” Her voice deepened and she realized it was because she was nearly dripping through what was left of her nylons. His face was as close to her sex as anyone has ever been in the last six years. That _does_ _things_ to a woman. And from the flare of Mulder’s nostrils, she knew he could tell just how turned on she was.

Mulder’s fingers dug deeply into the arc of her hip bone and he couldn’t hold back a groan when her fingers ran through his hair. “Scully you’re killing me here.”

“Mulder, I can just—”

“Nooo!  _ Let me, Scully _ ,” he begged shamelessly, sliding his right hand up her outer thigh and hooking his fingers onto the waistline of her nylons. He wanted this, badly. So much so, that the pants of his Armani tux was tented to the max and straining upward against the zipper. Looking up practically pleading to her with his eyes, she nodded and bit down hard on the side of her lip. 

He tugged down the delicate stockings and she shimmied her hips to help him bring them to her knees. And as she did, her thighs parted and Mulder got a good long look at her panty free center, pink and glistening wet. “You’re so beautiful.”

Scully smirked shyly, her face flushed. She seemed embarrassed at her obvious arousal but it only made his want for her more intense. “I want you so fucking bad, Scully,” his heaving whine was only slightly muffled in the small cove of coats that their mutual body heat warmed by the second.   


"Christ, Mulder I—we shouldn’t…” she whispered, parting her legs further and just about blowing Mulder's mind in the process. “But… I want you just as badly.”

“I can stand up, we can get our coats, and we can leave. If that’s what you want?”

Scully shook her head, mouth dry as she told him exactly what she wanted from him. “All I’ve wanted since I laid eyes on you tonight, is for you to touch me, Mulder—everywhere.”

In a flurry, she kicked her off her shoes and Mulder tore her nylons from her legs, shoving them in his pocket next to her flower. His right hand followed the curvature of her inner thigh and carefully dipped his fingers through her warm seam, gently opening her like one of her blooming roses. “Scully…” he sighed, swaying on his knees with the magnitude of the moment.

“Oh, God,” she hissed as Mulder dipped two long fingers fully in through the slick pleat of her lips. He found her pulsing bundle of nerves, and circled, teased and circled again. “Oh, shit… you’re… Mulder, I’m… oh my God I—” Her clit swelled and ached in time with time with her thudding heart and Scully could almost taste her climax rising through her belly already. 

“You’re throbbing, Scully,” he groaned. “I’ve wanted this… you, for so long.” 

Scully gasped and flicked her wild eyes down to watch his face as he touched her. His eyelids were heavy, mouth slack, completely devoted to her pleasure. Something in her broke free at the sight of him and she decided to fulfill one of her most vivid of fantasies.

Fumbling around her for something to hold onto, she found the rod of the coat rack above her head with one hand, took two steps forward, and held on tight. Mulder quickly resumed his ministrations as she slid five fingers through his thick hair, fisting his silky locks, and holding on for dear life. He got the hint and eagerly found her clit with the tip of his tongue, flicking and sucking until her legs shook. 

“More,” she whimpered and her fingers clenched his hair a little harder. As soon as his mouth touched her center, she knew she could let him do this all night long and ever regret a second. But anyone could walk in to retrieve their coat, anyone could hear her gasping for the air he’d just stolen from her chest.

Mulder groaned at the taste of her, smoothly sliding two fingers deep inside her then pumped and curved them perfectly. One of her leg’s looped over his shoulder and he nuzzled in deeper. She reacted and moved to clutch her hand around the nape of his neck where he felt her nails drag along his skin, and it sent satisfying chills soaring down his spine. 

“Oh, oh yes… Right there, please...” Scully whimpered, nails again desperately raking through his well tousled hair. They shouldn’t be doing this now. Not here, but the thought of him stopping as she felt herself floating higher and higher was utterly out of the question. 

His fingers plunged through her core, strumming their way  in and out, while he deftly maneuvered his tongue around her swelling bundle of nerves. Her womb tensed as an orgasm was rapidly approaching and it felt like she might explode any moment now. 

His practiced mouth reluctantly left her seam as his fingers continued to aptly work her frontal wall to a quiver. “I got you, Scully,” he mumbled along her pubic bone only to jerk his mouth away when he heard noises. His heavy eyes shot up to meet hers as the sound of voices got louder. “Shit, someone’s coming.” 

Scully huffed and glared down at her partner’s face between her legs, teetering upon one shaky stiletto heel with an enormous jolt of pleasure suddenly seizing her entire body. “Me!” she keened between gasps as she steadily climbed her peak, “I’m about to… oh God, Mul—” 

Fingers quickly pressed against her lips as Mulder swiftly stood, her leg falling from his shoulder to the floor with a thud while he slid along the front of her hiked up silk and completely exposing her bottom half. Scully clung to bar above her head now with both arms taut, body stiff, and he regretfully stifled her enthusiastic response to her release with one hand over her mouth while the other one worked hard to continue bringing her over the edge. With her head leaning along one stretched out arm, he whispered words of encouragement in her ear while she exhaled muffled cries into his palm. 

Her body went limp and he removed his fingers, hot and soaked with her juices to support her near rubber legs. “Shh,” he said along her forehead while he removed his hand from over her mouth. Her eyes were glazed over but he knew she understood by the biting of her lip that people were still inside the coat room just two aisles over.

When the men and women’s voices faded and their footfalls thumped further away, Mulder released the cradling hold on her and stepped back to take in a sated Scully. Her hair was a mess, her lips swollen from his hand, her pupils were dilated, and her dress was bunched and barely covering her bare ass. 

And he still hadn’t kissed her.

“Jesus Christ, Mulder.”

He felt that goofy smile from earlier tonight return ten-fold. When she immediately returned it, he rolled his lips together, finally enjoying the aftertaste of her essence. Mulder watched as she blushed red from her cheeks to her chest and slid her puffy rosebud lips along her finger tips.

“You okay?” he huffed, still catching his breath with his hand over his crotch and wiped his mouth clean. 

“Okay? I can barely stand, Mulder!” Scully’s mouth hung open, panting with her smile still stuck in its place. 

She winked and Mulder’s mouth instantly found hers, lips tenderly touching just enough to leave him awestruck and her wanting more. They parted, flustered, and just stared at one another. Scully blew out what air was still left within her lungs in a slow, steady stream through pursed lips, and she willed her heart to slow its pace so she could breathe evenly again. 

He wrapped himself around her and smoothed down the back of her hair as she straightened out her dress. 

“What took you so long?” she finally asked, lips and legs tingling. 

“Like I had attempted to tell you at dinner, timing is everything,” he murmured against her neck before pulling her into an intense passionate kiss that quelled six and a half years of palpable tension. 

——

After a quick search in the corner of the coat rack they had just defiled, Mulder grabbed their jackets, Scully’s clutch, and helped her back into her shoes. “I always pictured us doing the walk of shame in front of half of the FBI inside of the Hoover, not dressed to the nines through a hotel ballroom, Scully.” 

“Shut up, Mulder,” she laughed, leaning into him as they flew around the corner. 

“Oh! Excuse us, were just in a hurry,” Scully rushingly explained to the man they had just barged into. She shook her head at the fact that her and Mulder were intensely staring at one another, love drunk and lust driven instead of watching where they were walking. 

The small group of men parted and the smile melted off of her face as she glanced up at Mulder’s inconvenienced expression and took note of the woman now standing in their way. 

His grip around her hip tightened and she swore she heard him scoff. “Diana.”

Diana smiled scornfully, flicking her eyes over to Scully and back over to hold Mulder’s stare. “I think my shade of lipstick suits you much better, Fox,” she jeered as she shimmied her voluptuous breasts and leered him up and down. “But, that could be said about a great many things, don’t you think?”

Scully clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes, clearly ready to ignore her but Mulder had had enough of her bullshit. “I  _ know _ you’re wasting your time, Diana. And your breath.”

Feeling Mulder’s hand press harder into the skin of her back, Scully reached an arm around her spine and laced her fingers possessively through his.

“For now… Fox—”

“Ready, Scully?” He turned back to Scully, dismissing the conversation outright while holding onto her fierce blue eyes without hesitation and ignored the glare of hatred from Diana. He only had eyes for Scully. 

“Are you?” 

Mulder heard her concern through the multilayered question. Would there be more looking back on the past in regards to their future? Was he really ready for this with them? For more? 

“Absolutely,” squeezing her hand with reassurance, he told her exactly what had been churning in his mind since their plane ride home from Kansas. “Why spend our time looking back when we’ve got so much to look forward to?”

A full fledged grin spread widely across her face in response and Mulder easily matched it. He waved his arm with their coats slung over it towards the exit with a nod. And with his hand held tightly in hers, he led her past a stunned Diana and a smirking Skinner holding open the door. 

——

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the presence of Diana killed your overdose of romance and fluff but she was essential to the MSR moving forward. (drop me a comment and tell me how good it felt to see Mulder leave her with her jaw on the floor ;)
> 
> The coat room... the coat room... yeah that's all! ;)
> 
> And yes, I love me some 80's and 90's classic song's.


	4. Culmination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the nights earlier events, Scully does more than just invite Mulder into her heart.

——

Saturday February 14, 1999

Federal Benefit Fundraiser

The St. Regis Washington, D.C.

923 16th Street and K Street

11:37pm

“Yes, Sir,” Mulder hollered through the double doors while Scully watched big flakes of snow fall around her. “Trust me, I’m more sober now than I was when I got here. But yeah, we’re waiting for a cab now.” 

She could hear Skinner saying something in his unique tone that he only seemed to save for Mulder. She watched as Mulder grabbed the back of his neck and examine his hand. She vaguely recalled digging her nails into that exact spot not twenty minutes ago and she shuddered to think about what she might do when he touches her like that again. 

“Well, Skinner seems tickled with the night’s events so far.” Mulder nudged her and she chuckled at his boyish enthusiasm.

“I know I am.” She knew her casual tone had not deceived him when she looked out of the corner of her eye and saw him simpering with amusement at her failed attempt on keeping her own excitement low-key.

Scully stepped out in the open and stared up at the stars through the falling snow that lit up the black clear sky. The wine and their spontaneous coat room tryst still warmed her enough not to shiver while waiting for a cab. Even through the fresh wave of snowfall, her body refused to cool while Mulder stood near.

“The North Star looks like glitter, Mulder,” and it dawned on her as she reached out for him only to find he had already met her halfway, that he was like her own North Star; always her constant. “It’s beautiful.” 

Mulder watched her studying the stars as the snowflakes melted on her face and blanketed the mussed curls of her hair. Their hands met as she talked about the North Star but he couldn't look away from the happiness growing on her face. And he knew right then and there, he would never get use to the way her face lit up when she smiled. “Yes, Scully, you are.”

She looked at him through her lashes, blinking away flakes of snow before he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for another spine tingling kiss. With hands roaming and tongues teasing, a cab pulled around the circular drive and honked at the oblivious pair warming each other from the inside out. 

Smiling shyly, Scully hesitated briefly before steeling herself with bravery to ask him the question she knew they were both wondering. “Your place or mine?”

“Yours.” His expression was serious while he opened the cab’s door. “I don’t think I want to waste a second more to cross the river. Do you?” 

She could only shake her head and yank impatiently on his jacket for him follow her into the back seat. 

Mulder broke the suspense and grinned like the luckiest man alive as he closed the door behind them, sealing their fate on more than just one snowy, Valentine’s night.

——

Dana Scully's Apartment

Georgetown, Washinton D.C.

February 14, 1999

12:06pm

“Hurry, Scully,” Mulder whined in her ear as he nibbled at her earlobe, maneuvering expertly around her earring. His hands wrapped fully around her waist while he engulfed her with his size from behind. “Your hands are shaking. I can do the keys instead.”

She huffed and moaned when he ran a thumb along the peak of her nipple. “You’re doing exactly what I want you to do. Just—oh God… just hold on a second.”

“Mm, fine by me.” He buried his face in her hair and replayed the last twenty five minutes that lead them here.

_ They had settled into the cab and he decided to take full advantage of having Scully’s body pressed alongside his. He kissed the back of their joined hands; the swath of her neck peeking out from her coat; the shell of her ear; the side of her mouth; and then just like that, chaos ensued.  _

_ Scully grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and shoved him against the car window. Surprised and insanely turned on, he opened his mouth to either apologize or ask for more but was met with her tongue coasting along his bottom lip. Her usual rational behavior seemed to be overridden by an itch that needed to be scratched several years before. _

_ He should know, he felt it too.  _

_ Scully swung her right hip over his crotch, pinning his hardening shaft between his abs and his jagged zipper. He hissed before her mouth covered his, soft yet urgent. He knew how hard it was for her to be so open, so expressive, yet that was Scully before their confessions of love. This was now uncharted territory for them both.  _

_ “Mulder,” Scully mumbled along his lips. Her hands combed through his hair as she pressed his shoulders along the door, her knee digging into the cab’s cheap leather upholstery. She leaned back and really looked into his eyes, reading him.  _

_ Mulder held her tight and tried his very best to convey nothing but trust in her—in them, and she smiled in return. “We’re really doing this,” she whispered. It wasn’t a question as her lips brushed along his again.  _

_ Mulder recognized her familiar tone of analyzation, yet they weren’t rationalizing a theory and this wasn’t a case. “Only if you want this.” He ran his thumb down each freshly kissed lip and they lingered while silence spread throughout the backseat. _

_ “Mulder, I’ve wanted this since the day I met you. But wanting this,” she placed a trembling hand directly over his heart, “was the scariest thing in my life—and it happened in a heartbeat.” A small smile pulled at her mouth as her hand splayed out along the curve of his pectoral steadily thumping harder, just for her. “I can’t believe I’m telling you all of this. But… admitting it was the hardest part.”  _

_ “Scully,” he sighed and leaned up to cradle her body into his. “Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more…” Cupping her jaw, he kissed her soundly, stoking the flame between them as the windows fogged over.  _

Keys rattled and clanged loudly against the wood as the lock finally turned over. 

“Got it!” Scully swung her apartment door open, pulling Mulder out of reverie and tugged on his arms that were wrapped around her belly. She propelled them into the living room with excitement and toed the door shut behind them. 

Scully tossed her purse and keys onto the end table next to them and moved a hand up behind Mulder’s head, increasing his suction on her neck. “Mulder, you have no idea what you do to me.” She was so ready for this with him, so hot for him at this point that if he touched her in just the right way, she would gush right where she stood. 

Mulder furrowed his brow as he peppered kiss after kiss along her jawline, grazing the underside of her breast with one hand and letting her guide his other one up her dress. Knowing she was completely bare beneath it with her nylons now gone, he smoothly swiped three fingers through her drenched folds and watched her mouth fly open. 

“I have some idea, yeah,” he growled, bringing his hand to his lips and sucking each wet finger into his mouth. 

Catching him licking his fingertips clean, Scully felt the last tether of self-restraint snap and let an unabashed whimper leave her throat. She ripped off her coat as she turned around to face him and helped him do the same. “I think it’s my turn,” she said more to herself than to him while her fingers worked at the button of his slacks. 

“Holy shit.” Mulder’s hand dove right back under her dress to grip her hip as Scully took her time reaching into his boxers and sliding her doctorly fingers around his cock, pumping him out to his full length. 

“My God, Mulder…” Scully thought she had known, thought she had the seen whole picture catching glimpses of his occasional erections briefly throughout their years as partners, but she really had no clue just how  _ much _ there was to see. Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she continued to stroke him, feeling each vein throb beneath her hand. Her petite fingers and thumb were unable to touch as she moved his velvety skin with finesse from root to tip. 

Mulder grabbed her shoulder and his forehead fell against the top of her head. “Uhh, yeah. That feels—” Scully cut him off with a brush of her thumb, swiping away a droplet of precum pearling at the tip. 

“Ah, fuck,” he hissed, bucking his hips. “Careful, Scully, that’s a loaded gun you’re holding and I wanna make this last.” 

She huffed out a laugh but was too turned on to stop touching him yet. 

“But, who says we have to take turns?” He ran his fingers reverently over her belly and down into the triangle of damp curls at the vee of her thighs. She cried out as his fingers moved through her slit, teasingly brushing around her tender nerve endings before plunging two fingers three knuckles deep inside her. 

“Ahh!” Her gasp cut through the thick atmosphere of arousal. 

He groaned on contact, hips steadily pushing his erection eagerly against her hand as her fingers slid up and down the length of him. 

He slowly moved his fingers inside of her body to the match her rhythm and she threw her head back to face the ceiling, her eyes clenched shut and her mouth hung open before she let out a soft breathy groan, whispering, "uh, uh, oh God,” in perfect tandem to his strumming of her frontal wall. 

As she felt her climax thrumming its way through her, Mulder clutched her shoulder harder and said, “I’m gonna…” Then she felt him stiffen and bellow her name as he came, jetting out warmth along her hand and the bottom of his tuxedo shirt.

With her head still tossed back, Mulder’s arm snaked around her shoulders and pulled his now soaked hand from under her dress to hold her close. “Holy shit, Scully.” He couldn’t help but be slightly embarrassed by blowing his load all over himself but quickly shoved his shame aside when he noticed the look of utter euphoria on Scully’s face. “Hey there.”

“Mm, Mulder you’re so—and that was…”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” he lowered his head and panted into the crook of her neck. “Well, looks like it’ll be an awkward drop off at the dry cleaners on Monday,” he joked and heard her snicker. “Hell, I’m sorry about… you know.” 

Mulder knew his face was flushed from more than the reaction to his orgasm. The fact that he had just came all over Scully’s hand, his clothes, and probably her carpet had not settled in his mind as reality yet. 

Snuggling her chest into Mulder’s, Scully took a deep breath and gathered herself against him, not regretful in the slightest. “I’m not. It’s only fair.” Her limbs were tingly and she felt the smile growing on her face as she spoke. She reached around his waist and pulled him with her as she walked backward.

“Now that that’s out of the way...” He grinned at the satisfied look in her eyes as they moved into her dark bedroom but had hope that their teamwork would only improve from here. 

They stopped at the foot of her bed and Scully pulled on the corner of his bow tie, letting it fall to the floor and easily moved onto undoing the buttons of his shirt. 

“Make love to me, Mulder.” 

——

Designer clothes were tossed unceremoniously to the floor; the only sounds heard were the gasps escaping between kisses and the surprisingly fitting muffled song “Like a Prayer” echoing through neighbor’s wall; the only lighting in the room came from the moon outside the window and the stars in the sky. 

There Mulder and Scully stood, completely naked in front of one another—physically and emotionally for the very first time. 

Scully ran her fingertips down his rib cage, as if taking an intimate inventory of each one. Medically, she’d seen and touched him in the same places her hands were touching him now, yet then her mind had been on her concern for his health and not her concern for his pleasure. 

She caressed her way down to the apex of his obliques and he couldn’t hold back his moan of anticipation at his partner’s dexterous touch. Mulder’s lips traced the curves and edges of her upturned face and followed her down to her bed. 

Looking into her wild eyes, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering. It felt so right, so natural to bare his body and soul to her this way. The culmination of their entire partnership was enough to knock the breath from his chest. 

“You’re sure about this?” He had to be sure, to know for certain before they fully crossed over that invisible line of friends and lovers. 

She arched against him, scraping her nails down his back and he groaned into her cheek. "God yes, I need it." She did need it. Needed him. Nothing felt better or more right to her than when his lips touched hers. “It feels right, Mulder, so right.” 

She fell back and he hovered over her, hair red as her rose spread across the cream comforter. She twined their fingers together and his mouth trailed kisses from her wrist, up the tender flesh of her arm, and across the expanse of her throat to suckle her thudding pulse point. Scully mewled and his cock twitched to life once again. 

The music drifting through the wall ended and it was as if the universe knew just how life altering this moment was for them. With one arm bracketing around her shoulder and the other holding her leg twisted around his hip, Mulder’s mouth trailed down her neck and through the valley of her supple breasts, lavishing her pink hardened peaks with his tongue. 

“Mul—Mulder,” she writhed beneath him, wanting him so bad her entire body was shaking. But denying her fear of potentially losing something she held sacred with him—their partnership—would be a mistake to keep hidden from him. “This is… so much, too much of you.” 

Mulder unlatched his mouth from her nipple and frowned. “Too much?” He read her eyes and recognized the same look of fear he had held within himself for so long.

“If this doesn’t work, if  _ we _ don’t work… Mulder, I can't just go back. I won’t.”

“Scully, I’m scared too. But, I’m willing to sacrifice to make us work.” He offered up a sad smile and a shrug. “I can’t offer you normalcy, Scully. But, I can offer you a chance at happiness.”

She held his face between her hands and said, “you do make me happy.”

He nodded, and told her what his hope for them being together was. “I want you to understand that I’ll take on the world if I have to in order to have you this way forever.”

“You already have me, Mulder.” And it was the easiest thing she had ever said. She knew she was no longer Dana Scully without Fox Mulder a long time ago. They were together as partners in every respect now. Attached like strands of DNA—never one without the other. 

She pulled his face up to hers and kissed him hard. Sliding one hand down between their bodies, she wrapped her hand around his shaft, holding him rigid and hot, guiding him where she needed him most. Mulder scooted in closer and shucked her hips upward to meet his pelvis. 

No more words were spoken. Just Scully gliding him down her mons, brushing along her swollen clit, and running the crown of his cock through the center of her folds. They locked eyes and Mulder slid his way in, stretching her fully. 

“Oh yes, Mulder.” Scully bit her lip as he slowly moved his way through her inner walls. She was so wet and ready for him yet still had to breathe her way through adjusting to his girth. He felt amazing and her vibrators she had grown accustomed to over the years, were not nearly as endowed as Mulder was fully erect and hard as steel. 

Mulder shook as his hand slid down her side to the swell of her ass, curving around the softest skin he’d ever felt, keeping her hips angled while he began a slow, aching act of coupling between them. “You okay?” He asked, and got the look of “don’t you dare stop” to spur him on. 

Oh  _ yes yes yes _ she feels so good, he thought as he felt her tight tunnel squeeze around his shaft. He stroked into her, painfully slow at first until he hit the end of her repeatedly and then drew himself back out. He felt her shudder, heard her whimper at the intense sensations that nearly blew his own mind from the start. 

“Sc-Scully you feel amazing… you’re amazing.” 

She captured his chin and kissed him firmly before murmuring into his mouth, “you too.”

“You’re always amazing to me.” As he continued to rock into her, he knew now that nothing could have prepared him for this moment, to experience reality of making love to Scully. His heart would race when he fantasized about this, alone and lonely in a hundred different ways. Yet the reality, as he slowly slid his entire throbbing length through her, fully immersing himself within, was nothing short of nirvana. 

“Faster. You can go faster now.” Scully shook and clenched underneath him with each deep plunge around Mulder’s now pistoning cock. She felt every inch, every curve stretching and molding her to his own uniqueness. And Scully felt it all fill her, more than just tangibly. Her chin quivered at her sudden emotional reaction and allowed Mulder to see her absorbing him completely. 

Their eyes held steady as he saw her totally open and emotionally free to him for the first time. “You have no clue—no idea how much I love you.” Jesus, he was so lost in love! He thought he knew, thought he fully grasped his adoration for her before this, yet he had no idea just how much until this very moment. 

“You underestimate me,” she breathed. 

“Never, Scully.” And that has been the absolute truth ever since the day they met. 

Mulder locked his misting eyes onto hers as they continued their dance and it felt as though she drew out his very soul while her own seeped out through her watery pools of aquamarine. Every moan and kiss eagerly given across his face created the feeling of awe and wonderment that nearly sent him flying. 

She felt his muscles tense with effort around her. Her hands rubbed along every inch of his back as his beautiful bare body pumped into her, her insides fluttering while she keened in pleasure. He started moving even faster now and every time he thrusted into her, her body trembled with overwhelming excitement. Wrapping one arm fully around his neck, she brought his damp forehead down to rock along hers as they moved as one. The rhythm of the his hips gyrating against her already sensitized clit had her panting hard at the prospect of seeing stars again tonight. 

“Let me know how you want this, Scully,” he grunted as they tangled themselves together in so many new ways. He was so close but wouldn’t give into the coiling pressure until she did first. 

The wet noise of their coupling, the feel of his fingers laced through hers, the sheer euphoria that shot up her spine with every smooth thrust, was nothing short of heaven-sent. “Oh,  _ this this this _ ,” she cried, and felt herself falling over the edge yet again—felt herself falling further, deeper into her partner as her eyes shut and light burst within them. 

“Hey, come back to me. You good?” Mulder kissed her forehead and swiped her hair away from her face after she had thrashed red strands across her cheek, lost in the pinnacle of ecstasy. 

“Yeah, yes,” she sighed, wiggling her hips and noticing he was still hard. “God! More, Mulder? Christ, don’t stop now!” 

He laughed and before his next thrust, he gripped her slender hip firmly with one hand and slid the one which was looped around her thigh, up under her back to nestle beneath her hair while he pressed and held his lips to her temple. Scully instantly lulled her head back into his palm and sighed his name with reverence when his cock smoothly plunged back in to the hilt. 

She couldn’t help but whimper as Mulder easily slid through her slick lips, snapping his hips at an upward angle. He teased her G-spot with short, exquisite pumps to the point of madness that ramped up another round of approaching euphoria. “Deep-er, Muld-er,” she pleaded between gasps, rising up and lifting her head from the mattress to watch him rear back and glide inside her as fully and deeply as she could allow. 

Scully nearly lost herself at the graphic image of Mulder fully sheathing his long, thick cock in and out if her as she tossed her head back and gripped her legs around his waist like a vice, moaning for more. Her headboard smacked along the wall even as she pressed a palm against it with one arm stretched out above her head. And she still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that they were actually doing this, making love in her bed after years of fantasizing about this very thing. 

“We’re so good at this,” she blurted out, completely losing any remaining monicome of control. Mulder groaned in agreement and began to piston in and out even harder now.  

Whispers of fortitude and gasps of answered pleasure escaped them both as they moved their sweaty bodies in unison like the well-practiced partner’s they have always been.

Mulder chanted to himself each time he hit home _don’tcome,_ _don’tcome_ in hopes of holding off his urge to slam into her and explode. Frantic now, he tried all his tricks and landed on the last resorts. Skinner naked, Frohike naked, Skinner and Frohike naked… “Bile!” he hollered into the softness of her breast. 

And thanks to Eugene Victor Tooms, that did it. He heard what sounded like a strained laugh rumbling out of Scully but with his own orgasm at bay for now, his focus returned to making love to her and her mouth.

Feeling her inner walls tense more every time he rocked his dick all the way out to the tip, the ache to make her come again tonight was overwhelming and his ability to salve off his own orgasm was a talent he’d honed to a fine art after working side by side with the sexiest woman he had ever met. 

“Again. Let it go, Scully,” he kissed her closed eyelid, her slackened mouth, her damp forehead as she moaned. “Open your eyes and let yourself go.” Even as he felt his own orgasm fluxing low in his gut, Mulder had the raw need to piece her back together as she shattered under him from pleasure  _ he _ had given her instead of pain she had endured.  

He thrusted up into her just right and suddenly she was there again, the crest of her orgasm slamming into her with the likened force of a tsunami. Scully arched and gasped as she dug her nails into his strained muscles. With her eyes snapped shut and mouth agape, she tossed her head back and cried out his name with inflamed passion. _ “Mulderrr!” _

Her eyes flew open as she floated back down from riding the wave of her orgasm just in time to see Mulder chasing his own. “Uhhh, fuck, Scully!” With his eyes closed and his face contorted in ecstasy, their colliding sexes echoing as he pumped into her until she felt his cock expand and throb, coming into her hard with a jolt. 

Mulder trembled and rolled off to the side bringing Scully with him. She clung to him tightly as they laid breathless together. 

“Wow… just wow, Scully,” he huffed as he enfolded her in his arms where her face nestled into his neck. And until right now, he had never felt more loved in his life. “You’re amazing. You’re everything.” 

Scully kissed the sweaty arc of his neck before threading her fingers through the back of his hair and angled his head down for his cheek to lay flush alongside hers. “And you’re  _ mine _ ,” she murmured along his face. His arms encircled her at the small of her back as her feet tickled the backs of his knees. They hugged each other’s bodies and finally melded together completely as one entity. 

——

Minutes passed as they shared their mutual amazement at how well their first time together had went. He had just calmed himself after laughing entirely too hard at Scully’s deadpan comment on how his ability to make her come more than three times in one go, should be their first case to investigate when back on the X-Files. 

Now, Mulder laid there with his head on Scully’s pillow just staring at her, and watching her stare at him right back. They were wrapped up in her soft blankets now and he chuckled at the fact that he still felt like pinching himself. 

“You’re really in love with me.” He had to say it again, remind himself this wasn’t a dream. 

She nodded. “You flicked my switch, Mulder,” she confessed and let her fingers dance through the sparse hair on his chest. “And I finally said it aloud in a public bathroom, to a woman who left you wearing a mouthful of lipstick not long before.” Scully laughed at both him and herself while thinking about events of that night. 

His eyes widened when he realized that the same night that she knew the time for  _ them _ was rapidly approaching, he was comparing his similar situation with Holman. Essentially, gathering the courage to take his own advice he’d given. “That’s when you knew you loved me?”

Scully sighed, knowing she needed to concede to when she really had known her switch had been flicked. “No, Mulder it was years ago when I fell for you. To be honest, I tried my damnedest to push it away, to ignore it and lie to myself so we could continue the status quo. But when I was dying, Mulder, I couldn’t do that anymore. I admitted it all to myself back then.” 

“Oh, Scully that was the worst time of my life. Worse than the time spent searching for Samantha ever has been,” he told her honestly, with the vivid memory of her in that hospital bed brimming his eyelids. 

Brushing tears away, she couldn’t hold back the rest. “But at the time, that knowledge was enough for me because when I needed your shoulder, you leaned on me too; and when you felt me slipping away, you called my name. And… I found strength to come back to you. 

“God, Scully—”

“But it wasn’t just me coming back to you, it was me coming back  _ for _ you, Mulder. For our quest. Even if I couldn’t accept it at the time.” She palmed the side of his face as his tearing eyes gleamed in the moonlight. She felt his breath waver and he pulled her bare body further into his, seamless as their bond.

“I always wondered about that time, Scully, but it was just too much to handle at the time. For both of us.” He fell in love with her years before her cancer diagnosis but the quest was a dangerous one and he thought being involved romantically would have been even more dangerous back then. 

He stroked the side of her head and his fingers tangled in her hair. Scully held his face and smoothed her thumbs over his brows as she fought her surge of emotions. 

“That’s when I really knew though, Scully—when I acknowledged and accepted the fact that I was in love with you. Then I understood as you laid in that hospital bed and Skinner told me what happened in the meeting with Blevins—how he yelled in my face that you were dying right there in front of me… Hell, Scully I wanted to die too.”

“Oh Mulder, I knew. Deep down I knew.” 

“I knew right then and there as I watched helpless from your bedside, that not only did I love you more than my life, but that I would love you that way forever. It’s  _ always _ been you, Scully. Even when I couldn’t comprehend it yet.

Hot tears fell instantly, and Scully felt free to let them. “And that’s why I’m alive today, Mulder. I’d want to die too, if our roles were reversed.”

“No, Scully. You’re the one reason I wake up in the morning; you’re the one reason I find a way to smile; you’re the one person that can change it all around when life is going bad,” he told her while she wiped her face. 

“Jesus, Mulder,” she grinned and licked her lips as she reflected back on their time together. “Witnessing this romantic side of you has been incredibly sexy to me.” He just shrugged at her, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.  

Her heart thudded rapidly through her breast as her entire life’s revelation stoked that slow burning flame anew within her soul. “Even with all the bad that’s happened, I still wouldn’t change a day with you. There’s literally nowhere else I’d rather be than here, Mulder. There’s no place I would’ve rather have spent almost seven years of my life; and no one I’d rather be romanced by with flowers and a poem about promises of love. No one I love but you.” 

He grasped her hand and tucked it under his cheek against the pillow, showing off his love-struck, lopsided grin that just so happened to match her own.

“Maybe I’ll buy you all red roses from now on.”

“No I like the meaning behind the colored ones, but red  _ is _ my signature color.”

“No truer truths have been spoken. Although, no color red can really compare to the color of Dana Scully’s hair.”

And Scully knew with certainty that no one else ever has, or ever will, compare to Fox Mulder. 

This was still their same journey made as partners and friends. Still their own slow burning love story. They had just added a new chapter together—and it all began when stars aligned. 

——

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem Mulder send to Scully is called Promises and the Quotes that Mulder repeats to Scully is pulled from the quote at the start of chapter 1. 
> 
> So the smut was something I felt I had to get right with them and hope I nailed it (pun intended). Let me know if you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it because wow, it was something else. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading if you made it this far!

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted to write a story similar to a slow burn and thought why the hell not do it for the V Day exchange. I did not intend on going on and on like I did, but hey, this sort of took me that way so I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Any feedback is like Christmas morning so I appreciate any and every kudo and love the comments. If you liked it, please let me know because I now have a new appreciation for slow burn and long fic writers.


End file.
